The Verge Review--SLAMS the DNA

[Thunder22]

The unstated problem with a battery that "just gets you through the day" is that the battery endures at least 1 charging cycle every 24 hours, probably more than that on average.

Li Ion batteries are designed for anywhere from 400-1200 charging cycles over their life span. Considering that the battery isn't removable, and if the charging cycles life span is on the 400 side, that is also a concern to me. The battery dies 35 days after the 1 year warranty expires? sorry, it's not removable, buy a new phone unless you have insurance.

 

[aodmisery]

as long as the battery lasts longer than my thunderbolt battery ill be happy

 

[SteveISU]

I'm in the same boat, I love everything about the DNA except the battery.

I'm going to buy a Note 2. I think in a lot of ways the DNA is superior, but I just don't want to have to worry about my battery all the time. I played with an AT&T Note 2 today for about 45 minutes today and the battery only went down 5%. That was browsing the web, using the s-pen, screen on the entire time. Pretty impressive.

I have over 5 hours of screen time on my note 2 and I'm sitting at 22% life left. It's an amazing device.

 

[Don S]

I wonder if anybody has both the DNA and a GNex, who wins in battery life? I have a GNex and can get through the day with it. If it is the same or better than the LTE GNex, then I will not be worried about the battery life...

Ditto. I have one too currently.

 

[AntimonyER]

I wonder if anybody has both the DNA and a GNex, who wins in battery life? I have a GNex and can get through the day with it. If it is the same or better than the LTE GNex, then I will not be worried about the battery life...

Well I have a GNex with the 2100 battery, and I have to put it on the charger at least once, sometimes twice a day. But I am a super heavy user, I stream or listen to music almost all day, and check the forums, twitter, facebook, etc. a lot. I know the DNA won't last me all day at work, but I am at a desk, so thats not a problem. Plus I think my battery, which is now a year old, has lost some capacity, so there is that.

 

[cdmoore74]

I wonder if anybody has both the DNA and a GNex, who wins in battery life? I have a GNex and can get through the day with it. If it is the same or better than the LTE GNex, then I will not be worried about the battery life...

If you put it in that perspective I'm getting a note 2. I've been a GNex user since day one and based off my personal use I can't make it a past lunch without using one of my spare batteries or plugging it into an outlet. If I'm going on a long trip I carry 2 spares with me for peace of mind.
And after waking up at 4:20am and the time now is 5:28am my phone is showing 50%. That's with automatic brightness with the governor set to performance, WiFi using the standard battery.
Point is I don't want to be tied to a charger with a cord weighing me down. I could have settled with removable batteries. The DNA is not for me because I'm a very heavy user. But I bet for the vast majority of regular users you'll be fine. I would still get the DNA over every phone except for the Note 2. And the Note 2 is not for everyone.

Oh, the time now is 5:45am and I'm at 37%. That's 13% for 17 minutes. But I do have the governor set to performance.

 

[dwagner88]

If you put it in that perspective I'm getting a note 2. I've been a GNex user since day one and based off my personal use I can't make it a past lunch without using one of my spare batteries or plugging it into an outlet. If I'm going on a long trip I carry 2 spares with me for peace of mind.
And after waking up at 4:20am and the time now is 5:28am my phone is showing 50%. That's with automatic brightness with the governor set to performance, WiFi using the standard battery.
Point is I don't want to be tied to a charger with a cord weighing me down. I could have settled with removable batteries. The DNA is not for me because I'm a very heavy user. But I bet for the vast majority of regular users you'll be fine. I would still get the DNA over every phone except for the Note 2. And the Note 2 is not for everyone.

Oh, the time now is 5:45am and I'm at 37%. That's 13% for 17 minutes. But I do have the governor set to performance.

Wow. That is absurdly bad. How have you tolerated it for so long?

 

[AntimonyER]

Mine is pretty bad too. I think part of it is the actual capacity has dropped over a year.

 

[ben7337]

If you put it in that perspective I'm getting a note 2. I've been a GNex user since day one and based off my personal use I can't make it a past lunch without using one of my spare batteries or plugging it into an outlet. If I'm going on a long trip I carry 2 spares with me for peace of mind.
And after waking up at 4:20am and the time now is 5:28am my phone is showing 50%. That's with automatic brightness with the governor set to performance, WiFi using the standard battery.
Point is I don't want to be tied to a charger with a cord weighing me down. I could have settled with removable batteries. The DNA is not for me because I'm a very heavy user. But I bet for the vast majority of regular users you'll be fine. I would still get the DNA over every phone except for the Note 2. And the Note 2 is not for everyone.

Oh, the time now is 5:45am and I'm at 37%. That's 13% for 17 minutes. But I do have the governor set to performance.

That's pretty bad. I assume you had the screen on the entire time web browsing or something? That's the only way I could ever get my Gnex to drain that fast, but in the morning off the charger, it's easy to spend 15 mins on the phone doing that and to lose more than 15% just from that.

 

[rdalcanto]

That said, I did find their INTERPRETATION of the results inconsistent with some past results. Someone mentioned the GS3 earlier in this thread and they were correct.

The Verge review of the GS3 on Verizon has it lasting 4 hrs 12 mins on the same battery test where the DNA lasted 4 hrs 25 mins

Of particular interest was how they judged that time on the GS3 vs how they judged it on the DNA.

- On the GS3, for 4 hrs 12 mins they noted "Battery life is about average for a high-end smartphone. On the Verge Battery Test, which cycles through a series of websites and high-res images at 65 percent brightness, the Galaxy S III lasted four hours and 12 minutes.".

- Yet there comments on the DNA's 1080P result of 4 hrs 25 mins was "The DNA lasted a meager four hours and 25 minutes in the Verge Battery Test" and "... but the miserable battery life and ...".

The S3 battery is removable and replaceable with a spare. So if the DNA doesn't last much longer, it deserves a lower rating on battery life since you can't pop in a new one.

I don't know what DNA sales will be, but I bet they would double them by putting in a 3000mAh battery and 32GB of memory. This phone is a no-go for me without those two things. I'm constantly charging my Bionic, and I hate extended batteries and the thick, pregnant looking cases. Thin phones with huge batteries like the Note 2 are the only way I'm going from now on.

My son was REALLY excited about the DNA until he discovered that his Rezound has 11GB of music, games, etc., already on it. Now he realizes he can't buy that phone and be happy. Someone at HTC needs to be fired....

 

[Don S]

The S3 battery is removable and replaceable with a spare. So if the DNA doesn't last much longer, it deserves a lower rating on battery life since you can't pop in a new one.

...

That's debatable, but even if true, my point was about their assessment of how long it lasted. For the GS3, 4 hours 12 minutes was "normal", for the DNA the LONGER duration of 4 hours 25 min was "dreadful". It just isn't consistent. That is the point I was making.

 

[victek]

The S3 battery is removable and replaceable with a spare. So if the DNA doesn't last much longer, it deserves a lower rating on battery life since you can't pop in a new one.

I don't know that it deserves a lower rating, but it's certainly a practical consideration. By the way, I've yet to read an explanation for why we're seeing more phones with non-removable/replaceable batteries. There must be some benefit, such as lower production cost, slimmer profile, or better protection against contamination that justifies it.

 

[zenman]

There must be some benefit, such as lower production cost, slimmer profile, or better protection against contamination that justifies it.

Well it certainly doesn't help the resale value, so maybe the benefit is to HTC and other phone makers. Buying a phone that's 2+ years old with a non removable battery is not a good idea.

 

[Shockwave78]

Ill tell you guys what..I am a iphone user since they came out, have had everyone. Actually probably 3 or 4 of every model since i am pretty good at wheeling and dealing and making money off them

Anyway...I have been absoluetely dying to get away from the iphone since the 4 was released a couple years ago. No android phones could compete at all back then. Then the Gnex came out last december, great device but over all it felt cheap, the screen sucked outside, and the battery life what horrible. I then moved onto the razr, meh...lol won't even discuss that POS. Then the SIII...was very happy at first, but then the AMOLED screen thing started pissing me off, absolutley terrible outside in sunlight. Colors are way over saturated. Battery life...well acceptable, but still not good enough. Still found myself looking for a charger Friday night or Saturday when i am out and about.

Then i got the iPhone 5 to tide me over until the new Windows phones come out. I could not believe the battery life this thing gets with Verizon LTE and a 1400mah battery I was completely blown away by it... Usually 5-6 hrs i will get constantly and that is real world usage, i don't do any ipod or any of that stuff with the screen off. My usage is 80% web browsing, and 20 percent apps that use internet data.

The only reason i am bringing this up here is that Sharp is also supply the displays for the iphone 5, they are VERY EFFICIENT compared to what they were using before, this and apple is only using a single radio on the iphone 5's compared to all other LTE phones(they use two).

If Jelly bean is so much more effecient, and they are using the 5" screens from sharp, combined with a 2000mah battery...I could believe this phone would be getting 4 1/2 -5 1/2hrs of screen on usage like I would use it.

My largest complaint with the all the Android phones i have used so far are the AMOLED screens and battery life. This one could solve that!

But! Windows phone is still on my radar, i finally got to try the lumia 920 out and HTC 8x, the lumia is just way to large, wtf were they thinking :facepalm: The 8x is a very nice phone and i will have to give it another try instore this week. My only choice really is the 8x though since thats all verizon carries for the high end WP8(nokia 820 meh)

 

[syntrix]

The Verge reminds me of an article I read on the internet this morning. I goes a little something like this:

A company that specializes in iphone mobile ads says that the majority of their ads are on the iphone.

 

[Damar1979]

The droid DNA looks to be an awesome damn phone. But what kills it for me is this: 1080p, 440 PPI, beats audioquad core snapdragon S4 pro and 2 gigs of ram. This could be the mother of all multimedia phones.......if it had expandable memory! How do you make a phone that awesome and only give it 16gigs? Which after bloatware will probably only give you about 12-11.

 

[EarlyMon]

Common on HTC 16 GB phones to have about 2 GB for apps, 10 GB for storage.

The other 4 go to the operating system, radio firmware and other goodies.

How about it NA, do those numbers track here?

 

[Red Devil]

Have any of you folks invested in those portable battery chargers? I am not referring to spare batteries. I was thinking of buying one. Since I'll be putting a solid case on the phone, it'd be painful to change batteries all the time

 

[Red Devil]

Just saw the other thread on the same topic

 

[PsychDoc]

Might be helpful to read this article.

From here: Droid DNA The Real Battery Test - Rochester Droid X | Examiner.com

The HTC Droid DNA will officially launch this Wed November 21st. As of this writing many lucky Pre Order buyers of the device may receive it tomorrow per shipping notifications given out on Sunday. Many sites have already gotten their review units and have had the DNA for almost a week and posted up their mini reviews on important details about the device. Looking through many forums i hear that the main concern is the DNA's battery and lack of extra juice to sustain for a day (the Droid DNA will ship with a 2020mAH size battery). Here is what we see so far around the web about battery.

• Engadget: "In terms of real-life usage, the DNA got us through a full day on moderate use"
• Cnet: "I was surprised by the HTC Droid DNA's battery performance, as well. Despite the phone's large screen and swift performance, the handset's embedded 2,020mAh battery lasted for a long 8 hours and 43 minutes in the CNET Labs video battery drain test."
• Gizmodo: "That big screen is paired with LTE and a relatively modest 2020 mAh Li-Ion battery, but the Droid DNA still lasted until 10pm every night with moderately heavy usage. It's certainly nowhere near the marathon levels of the Droid RAZR MAXX HD, but it outlasts the Galaxy S3."
• TechnoBuffalo: "The DROID DNA features a 2,020mAh battery, which was able to get me to the end of the day with about a 30 percent charge."
• PhoneScoop: "Battery life of LTE smartphones has come a long way in the last year. The DNA includes a 2,020mAh battery, which provides enough juice to use it for an entire day, even when under LTE coverage. In fact, I had a hard time running the battery down, even with intensive use. It consistently lasted longer than 24 hours."
• LaptopMag: "The Droid DNA packs a 2,020 mAh battery that's not removable, but we saw pretty good endurance given this phone's huge display. During the LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous Web surfing over 4G LTE on 40 percent brightness), the DNA lasted 6 hours and 29 minutes. That's a half-hour longer than the 6:01 category average... The Samsung Galaxy S3 lasted 6:55, but it also has a dimmer display."
• PCMag: "With all the processing power and the big, ultra-high-resolution display, battery life is a big concern here. The Droid DNA's non removable 2,020mAh battery was good for a solid 10 hours and 40 minutes of talk time, which is almost identical to the Galaxy S3's 10 hours and 43 minutes."
• PhoneArena: "We were desperately hoping for the best with battery life, but alas, it puts out nothing more than average results. Charging its 2,020 mAh battery, we’re able to fly by the 10 hour mark before it’s completely depleted – thus hitting the tally we’re normally accustomed to seeing with most Verizon 4G LTE smartphones."
• Phil Nickinson via Android Central -How I look at battery life: From the moment the phone is unplugged from the charger, it's "in use." For me, that usually starts about 6 a.m. I still think "display on time" is obsessed over a little too much. It's important, to be sure. But a poor network connection will kill a battery even if you're not using the phone. So don't discount what's happening when you're not holding the phone. Droid DNA battery life: It's good. Not just kinda good, but really good. At least as good as the Galaxy S3.

So what I am trying to get at is that with many devices it is so hard to try and calculate what battery life will really give you. The only constant in everyone using the same device is that all will have the same size 2020 mAh battery upon purchase. How it is consumed during the day is on you. I have an extended battery Samsung Galaxy Nexus with a 2100mAh size battery. I pulled on one occasion 18 hours of usage . More days I am currently only pulling about 10 hours. People would ask me when I would recommend phones how battery life is. I always would reply with "For me, battery is great but for you it may be different.". Many tests are done to test battery life and we all read them before buying a device. I am guilty of that as well. The true test though is with you as a consumer. Buy a device and utilize that grace period for you to return a device. Some carriers have 15 days if you decide to return a device for another. Stop looking at sites on how great or bad battery life can be and making your judgement on if to buy or not. A good review may produce bad results when you use the device. A bad review may steer you away from a great device and ultimately have you settle with something else. Buy the device, download all the apps you would regularly use, and continue your phone usage like it is not a new device. Of course any new device you get you may take a while to get use to it or even understand how to use it, but try and use the first couple days to get the hang of it. The last days of your return window should be full on regular usage. Determine your usage and battery consumption and from there make your judgment The Droid DNA looks like an excellent phone with stellar specs. The 1080p screen itself is a master of beauty. I myself will be purchasing one on Wednesday for myself. If I don't feel like the device is up to my standards with my own usage, then I will make my true decision to return it. I would not want myself or any other reader to be stuck with a phone they did not like for 2 years. This advice I am putting out there can go for all cell phone purchases. The holidays are coming and I hope you take this into consideration.
PS: Cell phones make great gifts. I recommend that if you are purchasing one as a gift to always buy it a few days before you give it. That way the return period can stay open in case the receiver dislikes the device, they can return for another of their choosing. Don't make judgments for others based on your usage.

 

[CGdroid]

The S3 battery is removable and replaceable with a spare. So if the DNA doesn't last much longer, it deserves a lower rating on battery life since you can't pop in a new one.

I don't know what DNA sales will be, but I bet they would double them by putting in a 3000mAh battery and 32GB of memory. This phone is a no-go for me without those two things. I'm constantly charging my Bionic, and I hate extended batteries and the thick, pregnant looking cases. Thin phones with huge batteries like the Note 2 are the only way I'm going from now on.

My son was REALLY excited about the DNA until he discovered that his Rezound has 11GB of music, games, etc., already on it. Now he realizes he can't buy that phone and be happy. Someone at HTC needs to be fired....

Nope , someone at Verizon needs to be fired. The Japanese version (Butterfly J) actually has MicroSD slot, water proof feature, etc.. Verizon want this phone to be this way, not HTC.

 

[Deleted User]

Nope , someone at Verizon needs to be fired. The Japanese version (Butterfly J) actually has MicroSD slot, water proof feature, etc.. Verizon want this phone to be this way, not HTC.

I agree the no SD slot is clearly a Verizon ploy to get users to use more cloud and thus use more data to access it.

The data plans are where they are making the most money, so why not try to make more. Can't blame them...All we can do is either suck it up and stay with them because they have the best coverage, OR pick up and go elsewhere.

I'l be at a Verizon store to play with the DNA at 10am tomorrow. If I like it, I'll buy it...if not, then I'll continue to wait to find what I want. As much as I hate my 2 year old Droid X now, I do remember how great it was 2 years ago. I need a phone NOW that will last me another 2 years and still be great. The DNA has that possibility!

 

[zenman]

I can't wait till another carrier gets a network that is near in size/quality as Verizon's. Until we have some decent competition, Verizon will continue to control things too much and the consumer loses.

 

[NightAngel79]

The droid DNA looks to be an awesome damn phone. But what kills it for me is this: 1080p, 440 PPI, beats audioquad core snapdragon S4 pro and 2 gigs of ram. This could be the mother of all multimedia phones.......if it had expandable memory! How do you make a phone that awesome and only give it 16gigs? Which after bloatware will probably only give you about 12-11.

Common on HTC 16 GB phones to have about 2 GB for apps, 10 GB for storage.

The other 4 go to the operating system, radio firmware and other goodies.

How about it NA, do those numbers track here?

Pretty close yea, out of box you have about 11gigs of usable space.

I immediately put all my apps on phone (have 3 gameloft games that total 4gigs) and am sitting on about 5 1/2 gigs free space. Would I love more space? Certainly... but I think this will suit me just fine

 

[IamtheMamba]

I also found the DNA review on The Verge to be a little sketchy, especially in when describing the battery usage. I personally just think that the reviewer himself just did not like the phone. That's all good and fine but the review itself just did not seem to have been written from an unbiased perspective. I personally don't find the phone to be "massive" not the battery life to be terrible in any way shape or form. In fact it has been much better than my Gnex in the battery life department. I do have to keep a charger handy at work but I literally work in a concrete fortress where cell signals come to die. No phone survives an entire day without some sort of charging solution in this place As far as the 16gigs of storage, that has actually proven to be a non issue as I discovered I had a bunch of apps on my Gnex that I literally never used and games that I never, and I mean never played. Oh and not to mention the screen is leaps and bounds better than my Gnex which ended up having some pretty nasty burn in.